14 years ago today I met a man at a Carl’s Jr. drive-thru window in Sun Valley, California. That summer I had felt directionless. Though I had a few years sober and was excelling in some ways, I was restless in others. Where was my life going? What was I going to do? I began to think that maybe a relapse would be a good idea. After all, then I could sabotage all the good work I had done and start over–avoiding the fear of “what next.” And so I drove at 3am to a fast food restaurant because I wanted a snack, and my life was forever changed. I met a man, seemingly homeless, at that window outside of Carl’s. He asked if I wanted to get high. I said, “No man, I don’t do that anymore.” He said, “This shit is killing me.” Time stopped. He looked at me with his tears in his eyes saying, “I used to be somebody you know.” We rapped for awhile until I had to pull away. I said, “Just don’t give up man, don’t give up.” We shook hands, I drove away.

I cried all the way home. What a world we live in. The pain. The suffering. The joy. The wonder. All of it. All of a sudden THE CALL was placed on my heart and I heard “You are going to speak and write and it will help people. It will serve them. You’ve almost died 100 times over, and still here you are.” I was filled with joy! It was like I was bouncing up and down saying to God, “Me! Pick me!”

And so here I am, 14 years later. I have been relentless in my pursuit of God. I have been relentless in my inner work, that I may be a healthy vessel, a positive vehicle for change and transformation. I have been dedicated and passionate about THE CALL, for it is my life and is my love. Admittedly, I am not the most well rounded person. I do not have hobbies (don’t care), have not married or had children (hasn’t been my priority), do not attend meet ups or probably even have the social circle I could or should. What I do have is a BIG VISION of what I know, and that is The Revolution of Love. It is a ministry that matters. It has value and is important. Especially in times such as these. I have A CALL that was placed on my heart and I am here to share it. With You. Thank you for all my birthday wishes and the love you shared. Now let’s do this thing. We can make it happen.

In bold love, ashe, Rev. Felicia

I hear you and it is time. I hear the call for us to see in a new way. We turn on the news and we see the violence. But do we really see it? How do we see the violence? Do we see it from a place of co conspirator or aligned perpetrator? Do we see it from a place of victimhood? Do we simply go blind for the moment, drinking the denial elixir?

OR do we see the violence wholly, weaving it into a bold new quilt, potent and ripe with transformation? Do we see the violence through the eyes of God, from a place of Higher Ground? This place of Holy Elevation is our ticket out of the violence within and the violence without. This is our beginning, our pathway out of and healing into. I charge us all to see the violence, but not from those business as usual places. Instead from a place of high end radical courage and compassion. For this is key to our continued transformation. God, let us see through your eyes, that which is already so. We said it was time. I say it is time. And so we let it be. Amen.

It seems as though I triggered some feelings with my posts about my nonviolent actions at Creech. I have heard feedback from various people and I honor all the feelings and seemingly different truths.

I am also grateful because we need to start seeing humanity in a new way. One of the ways to do that is through dialogue. So thank yous to those of you who reached out to me about my posts offering your views. Let us go deeper now…

Our apathy about violence, or denial of it, is an invitation for reckoning and redemption. As I once wrote, we are better than this. Our Divine Self knows this, hence we must heal the schism.

In last week’s sermon I talked about seeing everything through the God Lens. When we begin to see through the eyes of God, life becomes different. Our vision may be blurry at first, it may be downright uncomfortable, yet we press on. Violence, as in racism, speciesism, classism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, abuse, war, and on and on, looks strikingly stark through the eyes of God. And, through the God Lens we are blinded by the beauty, the joy, the Love that Always Is. Yes.

In nonviolent training we discuss 3 different zones people inhabit; they are the comfort zone, discomfort zone, and alarm zone. If someone is too comfortable (complacency), change is less likely. However if they are pushed into alarm zone (triggered), they may not feel safe and potential for transformation is slim. Hence we recognize that the discomfort zone (mutable and curious) is often the pathway to seeing anew. It is like putting on the God Lens’.

The first step & question is this: are you committed to creating a Revolution of Love? Because part of that will entail some discomfort, some blurry vision. It will also entail seeing the wonder, the beauty, the majesty of God more than you ever have.

I would like us all to make this commitment together, that we may turn everything on its side, see anew, and moreover use the God Lens. See through the Eyes of God. Again, see through the Eyes of God. Whisper…see through the Eyes of God.

Please type yes and anything else if you are ready. I am and call us to ascend together.